Returning train tickets is how much you lose. How to return Russian railway tickets purchased at the box office

And received various questions related to this topic. One of the most popular is how to return a Russian Railways e-ticket and what needs to be done for this. And in fact, everything here is simple and logical, and I will now tell you how this happens.

The article was changed and added, since Russian Railways did return tickets on the website, which was not the case before. But it is still not always possible to return tickets purchased through the site, read below.

Our Russian Railways is not yet quite close to modern trends, and we can already say thank you that we have the opportunity to buy a ticket via the Internet. Not so long ago this didn’t happen; in any case, you had to go to the cashier. And now even some popular trains have electronic registration, and you don’t need to get a paper ticket before boarding the train, you just need to show your passport to the conductor. Just do not confuse electronic registration and electronic ticket, these are completely different terms for Russian Railways.

E-ticket

Let me remind you that a Russian Railways electronic ticket only gives you the right to receive a paper ticket at a self-service terminal or at the ticket office. That is, it is convenient for securing a seat on the train in advance, but it is not a travel document in itself. As with air travel, you present your passport (and sometimes an e-ticket) at check-in and are given a boarding pass. In our case, you are given a real train ticket at the railway ticket office or self-service terminal, which is presented on the train. The only difference is that you must know the code of your electronic ticket.

Electronic registration

And electronic registration means you go straight from home to the train, you don’t need to get any additional tickets, you just show your passport to the conductor and that’s it. Although it would still be advisable to show a printout from the site as well.

How to return a Russian Railways ticket

Basically, if you followed my train of thought in the previous paragraphs, then you realized that you may have two options for tickets in your hands: real paper and electronic. Accordingly, to return a real ticket, you need to go to the station to the ticket office, but an electronic one can be returned through the website.

How to return a paper ticket

If you bought a ticket at the ticket office at the station, then the ticket will be refunded at the ticket office, everything is clear here, it has always been so. Let's pay attention to another point. If your ticket was originally electronic, but you have already received a boarding pass on Russian Railways form at the ticket office or self-service terminal, then consider that it has already become real and you will also have to return it only through the ticket office. The ticket office can be any on the territory of the Russian Federation, and for returning tickets to Europe - an international ticket office on the territory of the Russian Federation.

The only difference is that you paid for the e-ticket using a bank card, and it is to this card that the refund will be made, that is, they will not give you the money at the box office. They will be returned to the card within 7-30 days.

From this we can conclude that you should not receive a ticket on a paper form ahead of time. It is better to arrive a couple of hours before the train departs and then get it.

How to return an electronic ticket through the website

Once again, you can return through the website only the electronic ticket for which you have not yet received a paper boarding pass at the ticket office or self-service terminal. Accordingly, you will need to go to the Russian Railways website in your personal account and complete the return procedure. We look for “My orders”, find your ticket in the list, in the “more details” menu we look for the ticket status and the “return” button.

You will be charged RUB 162 for the return service. In addition, the refunded amount will depend on the time you cancel the order.

8 hours before the train departure, you will be refunded the full amount.
2-8 hours before the train departure you will receive the cost of the ticket and 50% of the cost of the reserved seat.
For 2 hours only the cost of the ticket.

These are the things... On the one hand, the refund procedure is not entirely logical (electronic is possible, paper is not), on the other hand, very flexible deadlines for returning 100% of the ticket price, if we draw an analogy with. No airline would refund the entire amount 8 hours before departure, God forbid, a couple of months, and that’s not a fact, everything would depend on the fare of the air ticket, whether it’s refundable or not.

Where to buy a train ticket

In order not to suffer with a buggy and inconvenient official website, you can use the booking form from a well-known service. We ourselves often use their services; sane people work there, which makes us happy. By the way, you can buy two lower seats there at once, just mark them on the car diagram and that’s it.

P.S. When purchasing a ticket through Tutu, the task of returning the ticket is somewhat simplified, you just call them and make a refund, no ticket offices or queues.

1. Return of a ticket with electronic registration

A railway ticket for which electronic registration has been completed can be returned through the website no later than 1 hour before the train departs from the initial station and before you print out the paper original. If you have already printed a ticket on a form, you can only issue a refund at the Russian Railways ticket office. If you did not manage to cancel your electronic registration before the deadline (1 hour before the train departs from the initial station), you can apply for a refund at the Russian Railways ticket office. Refund for unused electronic ticket with electronic registration for trains in domestic Russian traffic carried out:

in working order, if the passenger, within the period from 20 minutes to 3 hours after the train departs from the passenger’s departure station, personally appears at the ticket office and presents the identification document specified in the electronic ticket;

in the claim procedure if:

For international travel (far abroad): no later than 1 hour before the train departs from the starting station of the route, and no later than 6 hours before the train departs from the passenger boarding station

2. Ticket return without electronic registration

If the electronic check-in service is not available for your ticket, or you managed to cancel it, a ticket refund can be made through the website before the train departs. After the train has departed, a ticket can only be returned through the Russian Railways ticket office and upon presentation of the original ticket.

3. Ticket for which the original was received on Russian Railways letterhead

Such tickets can only be returned at the Russian Railways ticket office.

4. Ticket issued at a non-refundable fare

Refunds of amounts due for unused tickets purchased at fares that do not provide for the condition of receiving a refund of the fare (non-refundable) are carried out only in the following cases:
- sudden illness of a passenger or his companion - a family member (spouse, parent (adoptive parent) or child (adopted);
- injuries due to an accident, confirmed by relevant documents;
- death of a passenger’s family member;
- cancellation of train departure or delay;
- failure to provide the seat indicated on the ticket.

Return deadlines

The minimum guaranteed time for reviewing an application for a refund of train tickets on the website is 4 hours.

For domestic trains on the territory of the Russian Federation and international trains with the CIS countries, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Abkhazia, you can return your ticket:

-for tickets with electronic registration - no less than 1 hour before the train departs from the starting station of the route*.

For international trains (far abroad):

For tickets without electronic registration - no less than 6 hours before the train departs from the passenger boarding station*;
- for tickets with electronic registration - no later than 1 hour before the train departs from the initial station of the route, and no later than 6 hours before the train departs from the passenger boarding station*.

For commuter trains:

For tickets without electronic registration - at any time before the train departs from the passenger boarding station*;
-for tickets with electronic registration – no later than 1 hour before the train departs from the starting station of the route*.

Upon return the following will be withheld:

fee for processing a return, 100 rubles;
site service fee, initially included in the ticket price;
Russian Railways fee for the provision of ticket refund services. The minimum fee for returning at least 8 hours before train departure for domestic trains and at least 24 hours for trains traveling from/to the CIS and Baltic countries is 203 rubles 50 kopecks (for each seat). When returning a ticket less than 8/24 hours before the train's departure, the fee is calculated individually according to the rules of Russian Railways - see “Reference information on the return conditions of Russian Railways”.
Funds are returned to the user's account on the site or in the same way as the order was paid for. In the future, you can pay for new orders on the site with money from the user account.

If you return the ticket at the box office, the refund will be made to the site after we receive information from Russian Railways that the ticket has been returned. As a rule, this happens the next business day.

In order to issue a ticket return and get a refund, go to your Personal Account, select the order you are interested in and click on the “Return” button. The system will calculate the amount to be refunded (if possible) and offer you to confirm the refund or refuse it. If the refund amount has not been calculated automatically and may affect your decision to return the ticket, please contact our 24/7 support team.

Return times:

Review of the application (in rare cases, the return cannot be processed automatically, and it is received in the form of an application for manual processing by the operator): from 4 hours to 4 days;
Transfer of funds from the website - 3-4 business days;
Crediting money to the client's account/wallet depends on the method of payment (return). So, money is credited to a bank card and Yandex Money wallet on average in 4-5 business days. At the same time, crediting to your wallet in the WebMoney system may take up to 8 business days.

Refunds and exchanges of tickets on Russian Railways form are issued at the return desk at any railway station. To do this, you need to present your passport, the number of which is indicated on the train ticket. If the ticket is returned by power of attorney, then in addition to the power of attorney itself to return the ticket and receive money, certified by a notary, two passports are needed: the person for whom the power of attorney was issued, and the passenger for whom the ticket was issued. You must have original documents; copies are not accepted.

Reference information on Russian Railways return conditions

Tickets for domestic Russian trains:

no later than 8 hours before the train departure - the full cost of the ticket and reserved seat is paid, minus the Russian Railways fine and website fees;
less than 8 hours, but no later than 2 hours before train departure - the full cost of the ticket and 50% of the reserved seat;
less than 2 hours before departure and within 12 hours after train departure - the full cost of the ticket is paid, the cost of the reserved seat is not refunded.

within 5 days from the moment of departure of the train - the full cost of the ticket is paid, the cost of the reserved seat is not refunded.

Tickets for trains traveling from/to the CIS and Baltic countries:

1. Refund at the request of the passenger:

no later than 24 hours before the train departure - the full cost of the ticket and reserved seat is paid, minus the Russian Railways fine and website fees;
less than 24 hours, but no later than 6 hours before the train departure - the full cost of the ticket and 50% of the reserved seat are paid;
less than 6 hours before the train departure, but no later than 1 hour from the moment the train departs - the full cost of the ticket is paid, the cost of the reserved seat is not refunded.

2. Illness or accident that occurred before the train departed:

upon presentation of a travel document to mark the railway within 10 days from the expiration of the documents confirming illness or accident, the full cost of the ticket is paid, the cost of the reserved seat is not refunded.

If your ticket is lost, you can contact the ticket office of JSC Russian Railways or JSC FPK and restore the ticket.

If the railway is at fault for canceling the trip, the full cost of the ticket is paid.

A passenger can not only buy a train ticket online, but also easily return it. If the electronic travel document was paid for by credit card and was not subsequently printed on the official letterhead of JSC Russian Railways, it can be returned directly in your Personal Account on the website. If the purchased item was printed through self-service terminals or received at the ticket office at the station, then it can only be returned at the return desks of Russian Railways.

Money for an unused trip will be credited to the bank card used to make the payment. Funds should arrive in your account within 7 to 30 days from the date of registration of the transaction in your Personal Account. The exact timing of the transfer depends on the cardholder bank.

General conditions for the return of electronic tickets

A mandatory fee established by Russian Railways OJSC is charged for delivery.
For non-cash electronic documents for travel of children under 5 years old without occupying a seat, no fee is charged.
When returning an unused electronic ticket issued for domestic and international trains with the CIS countries, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Abkhazia, the cost of services (including bed linen) is refunded in full.
It is possible to return either the entire order or separately each e-ticket from an order for several passengers. In this case, the user acts on behalf of all passengers of the order, and therefore all these passengers are considered to have been informed of the cancellation of the trip.
Cancellation of travel according to documents issued for a “soft” carriage with service class “1A”, “1M” or “1H” and a meeting room “Sapsan” (car No. 01, seats from 27 to 30 with service class 1P) with full payment compartment, is only possible for all order items at the same time.

Due dates
If you have not yet used the electronic registration service, you can return an unused electronic document on the website at the following time intervals:

for trains of domestic Russian traffic and international traffic with the CIS countries, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Abkhazia at any time before departure from the passenger boarding station;
for international trains (far abroad) is carried out no less than 6 hours before departure from the passenger boarding station

If you have already completed electronic registration, the procedure is as follows:

for trains of domestic Russian traffic and international traffic with the CIS countries, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Abkhazia at least 1 hour before departure from the initial station of the route;
for international trains (far abroad) no later than 1 hour before departure from the initial station of the route and no later than 6 hours before departure from the passenger boarding station.

After receiving a regular ticket on a form at the Russian Railways ticket office or at a self-service terminal, returning an electronic document on the website is impossible. It can only be returned at the ticket offices of JSC Russian Railways or JSC FPK in the Russian Federation.
To do this, you need to contact the refund office, which can be found at any train station.
When applying, you must present the ticket and the document identifying the passenger indicated on it.
Money for unused electronic documents is reimbursed only on the territory of the Russian Federation upon personal application by the passenger.
Returning an unused electronic ticket for international traffic (far abroad) is carried out only at international ticket offices.

How much money is returned when submitting electronic travel documents?
You can return your purchased train tickets online cheaply if you decide to cancel your trip at least 8 hours before the departure of the train. Otherwise, a certain amount will be withheld from the passenger, the amount of which depends on the remaining time until the departure of the train.
If canceled on domestic Russian routes

If you apply no later than 8 hours before departure, you will be reimbursed for the cost of travel, consisting of the cost of the ticket and the cost of a reserved seat.
If you apply less than 8 hours, but no later than 2 hours before departure, you will be refunded the full cost of the ticket and 50% of the cost of the reserved seat.
If you apply less than 2 hours before departure, you will only be reimbursed for the cost of the ticket, excluding the cost of a reserved seat.
If you are late for departure and no more than 12 hours have passed, the cost of the travel document will be refunded, the cost of the reserved seat will not be refunded (valid for documents printed on Russian Railways JSC letterhead).
If you cancel your trip due to illness or an accident and have documents confirming this, you will be refunded without the cost of a reserved seat (only for documents printed on Russian Railways JSC letterhead).

You can return an unused electronic ticket with completed electronic registration to the ticket office and receive money for it within 20 minutes to 3 hours after the train departs. In the following cases, the procedure is a claim procedure:

submission of a document with completed electronic registration less than 1 hour before departure from the original departure station and no more than 20 minutes after departure from the passenger boarding station;
more than 3 hours after the train departs from the passenger’s departure station, but no later than 12 hours after the passenger’s departure from the passenger’s embarkation station;
in case of application for cancellation by an authorized person under a power of attorney;
in other cases provided for by regulatory documents.
If canceled in international traffic with CIS countries, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Abkhazia
If you apply no later than 24 hours before the train's departure, you will be reimbursed for the cost of travel, consisting of the cost of the ticket and the cost of a reserved seat.
If you apply less than 24 hours, but no later than 6 hours before departure, you will receive the full cost of the ticket and 50% of the cost of a reserved seat.
If you apply less than 6 hours before departure and no later than 1 hour after departure, you will be compensated for the cost excluding the cost of a reserved seat.
If your trip is canceled due to illness or accident within 10 days from the date of departure of the train, you will be paid the cost without the cost of a reserved seat (only for documents printed on Russian Railways JSC letterhead).

An unused electronic ticket with electronic registration for trains traveling with Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan less than 1 hour before departure from the initial station of the route is not refundable.
Refund money for an unused electronic ticket for international trains (No. 17/18 Moscow-Nice-Moscow, No. 23/24 Moscow - Paris - Moscow, No. 21/22 Moscow - Prague - Moscow, including direct carriages: Moscow - Vienna - Moscow , Moscow - Karlovy Vary - Cheb - Moscow, St. Petersburg - Prague - St. Petersburg, No. 32 Moscow-Helsinki and high-speed trains "Allegro") is possible no later than 6 hours before departure from the passenger boarding station. In this case, the passenger will receive the cost of travel, consisting of the cost of the ticket and the cost of a reserved seat. If cancellation is made less than 6 hours before departure, unfortunately no refund will be given.
When returning an electronic ticket with electronic registration for travel abroad less than 1 hour before departure from the initial station of the route and more than 6 hours before departure from the passenger boarding station (local time), a refund is made in a claim procedure.

Refund of unused electronic tickets at ticket offices in the CIS countries, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia
It is carried out upon presentation of a boarding pass issued on a travel document form. In this case, the rented seats are marked in the carrier’s database, and no refund is made. To receive the funds due, you must contact the ticket office in the Russian Federation within 6 months from the date of train departure and present a seat return form, an unused travel document on the form and a passenger ID card.

Refund of unused electronic tickets at ticket offices in European countries
It is carried out only upon presentation of a travel document drawn up on the prescribed form. A mark indicating its non-use is placed on the document, indicating the day, month, year and time (hours, minutes) of the passenger’s request. To credit the funds due, you must contact the international ticket office in the Russian Federation within one month from the train departure date indicated in the travel document, provide an application and an unused ticket with the appropriate mark. The passenger's application is considered within 180 days from the date of receipt.

Refund of tickets for Sapsan
General delivery rules apply. The exception is tickets issued at a special round-trip fare.
If the trip on the Sapsan is issued at a round-trip tariff, travel documents must be handed over only in pairs - simultaneously for both the outward and return travel.
or
Return only a return ticket, in which case the refund will be made in accordance with the claim procedure and minus 10% of the fare in the “there” direction. To do this, you need to contact the box office, where you will be given a confirmation of the delivery of your place. Then the received document and the application for reimbursement of funds written in a consolidated form should be sent to the Directorate of High-Speed Transport (branch of JSC Russian Railways). The appeal can be taken there in person or sent a letter by mail. The Directorate of High Speed Transport is located at: 105066, Moscow, st. Nizhnyaya Krasnoselskaya, 40/12, building 11.

Refund of train tickets at the box office and on the website.

How to return Russian Railways tickets purchased at the box office?

We contact the cash desk (only in Russia) that deals with returns, and in person (a power of attorney is allowed only in exceptional cases).
We present your passport (or other document specified on the ticket).

How to return Russian Railways tickets purchased online?

Refunds are made only to the card from which the payment was received. Receipt of money to the card is carried out according to the rules for payment systems within 30 days. When paying with Yandex.Money, PayPal or WebMoney, the money is returned in cash at the Russian Railways ticket office. To do this, you need to print out a paper ticket and hand it in to the return office.

The procedure (from 20 minutes to 3 hours after train departure) is as follows:

We present at the box office the ticket/order number or control coupon along with your passport or other document, the details of which were entered on the ticket upon purchase.

If you previously received a paper ticket via electronic registration at the box office or terminal, then you need to present it, and not the control coupon or order number.

We receive cash taking into account the deadlines established for the return of tickets.

Attention! For a domestic train with electronic registration less than 1 hour before departure from the initial station, a refund is made in a claim procedure.

How to return an electronic Russian Railways ticket on the website?

In order to return a ticket on the website, you need to fill out the refusal form:

Provide a 14-digit order number
Phone number specified when purchasing a ticket
In this case, all tickets specified in the order will be returned; partial refunds are not yet possible.

This operation is possible only before the train departs and if the boarding pass has not yet been issued and the paper ticket has not been received at the ticket office. The exception is international travel. To return such tickets on the website, there must be at least 6 hours left before the train departs from the boarding station. The departure time is indicated in the control coupon.

If I return my train ticket, how much money will I get back?

Please remember: the later the ticket is returned, the less money you will receive for it.

8 or more hours before train departure – full price;
from 2 to 8 hours – full ticket price and 50% of the cost of a reserved seat;
less than 2 hours – ticket price only.

A fee of RUB 162 will be charged. 00 kop. for each place (the rate is set by the Federal Tariff Service of Russia and is valid until December 31, 2018)

For suburban ambulances, indicating the location:

for 8 hours or more – full fare;
less than 8 hours, but not less than 2 – 50% of the cost;
less than 2 hours - no refund;

There are no restocking fees. The commission fee charged for the pre-sale of a travel document (ticket) is not refundable.

For international transport with the CIS countries, Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian and Abkhaz Republics:

no later than one day before the train departs from the boarding station - the cost of the ticket and the cost of a reserved seat;
less than 24 hours, but more than 6 hours before departure from the boarding station - the cost of the ticket and 50% of the cost of a reserved seat;
less than 6 hours and before the train departs from the boarding station - the cost of the ticket, the cost of the reserved seat is not refundable.

Service fees (including bed linen) will be refunded in full.

For international transportation abroad:

no later than 6 o’clock – cost of ticket and reserved seat;

A fee of 10 euros for each place in rubles at the Central Bank exchange rate on the day of return.

For passenger transportation, the rule applies: if a passenger is unable to start or continue a trip due to the fault of the railway, he is paid the full cost of the travel document. And in case of termination of a trip along the route due to a traffic violation not related to the railway, a refund is made in the amount of the cost of the untraveled distance.

Therefore, it is better to make it a rule when planning a trip to prepare for it as thoroughly as possible and not make spontaneous purchases of tickets that you know you will not use due to certain circumstances.

A ticket is the cost of your travel directly, while a reserved seat, if the memory of the former conductor serves me correctly, is defined as a payment for the maintenance of the railway track, for the work of the train crew employees, etc. Therefore, it is logical that the refund of the cost of a ticket and reserved seat is carried out in different ways in different situations.

I would like to note right away that in all cases you will definitely be charged a fee for returning the ticket (until the end of 2018 it is 192.7 rubles for each seat). Let's consider the possible options (in this case, options for returning tickets issued for travel within the territory of the Russian Federation are being considered):

The ticket is returned no later than 8 hours before the train departs from the passenger boarding station - you will be refunded 100% of the cost of the ticket and reserved seat. The only fee that I mentioned above is charged.
The ticket is returned from 2 to 8 hours before the train departs - 100% of the ticket price and 50% of the cost of the reserved seat are refunded.
The ticket is returned less than 2 hours before departure or no later than 12 hours after departure (yes!) - 100% of the ticket price is refunded. The cost of the reserved seat is not refundable, which is logical, considering what the money from the reserved seat is spent on. They go to maintain the movement of the train, as I already said, to pay the conductor. That is, if you return your ticket too late, then they are unlikely to have time to sell it, but the train will still travel without you. It is quite logical that the cost of a reserved seat in this state of affairs should be maintained.
Within 5 days after the train departs, you can return the cost of the ticket if there is a valid reason (illness, accident, etc.) To obtain a refund, you will have to present supporting documents. The cost of the reserved seat, of course, is again non-refundable.

All of the above applies to tickets, purchased at the box office.

With electronic tickets it’s a little more complicated. You can return them either on the website or at the box office. If for a ticket electronic registration failed(however, now when buying tickets on the Internet, electronic registration is carried out automatically, but it can also be canceled), then you can return it on the website right up to the time of train departure from passenger boarding stations. If you don’t have time, then we go to the cashier. The fees are the same as listed above.

Electronic ticket for which electronic registration has been completed, can be returned on the website no later than 1 hour before the train departs from starting station of the train route. Until this time, you can cancel electronic registration. But after that you can return this ticket at the box office, in the claim procedure. You will need to fill out an application, the review period of which is one month. The money will be returned to the card from which the payment was made, in this case much longer than with a regular ticket return.

Thus, if you are not very confident about the trip, then it may be reasonable not to check in electronically and then quickly issue a refund online. Just be sure to remember to print out a ticket on a form before traveling if electronic registration has not been completed.

How to return an electronic ticket for Russian Railways (train ticket)?

You can return your ticket on the Russian Railways website or at the Russian Railways return office. In the second case, you need to have with you the document on the basis of which the ticket was purchased (passport, for example), and a 14-digit electronic ticket number.

If you bought an electronic ticket and decided to print it on a regular form, this is your right, but if you do this earlier than 1 hour before the train departs, then your electronic reservation will be canceled. You can return a printed ticket only at the return desk.

A ticket can be returned in two ways:

As usual . This is acceptable if:
- electronic registration for your train is missing or has not been completed;
- you have checked in, but there is more than 1 hour left before the train departs;
- you checked in, but the train left without you.
In the claim procedure . It is possible in the following cases:
- if you are late for the train by 12 hours or more;
- if you are late for the train for up to 5 days from the moment the train departs for a valid reason, such as illness (but in this case you will need to present a corresponding certificate);
- if the electronic ticket was returned less than 1 hour before the train departure;
- if you decide to return a ticket that was issued by bank transfer.

If you decide to use the claim procedure, you will need to submit:

a statement from the person in whose name the ticket was purchased;
copy of passport;
original ticket (if it is not electronic);
supporting document in original;
a certificate confirming the reason for your lateness;
indication of the method of refund.

Refunds can now be made by mail (you will be charged all necessary taxes and fees) or by transfer to a bank account or bank card (for this you must provide all bank and account details)).

The passenger has the right to file a claim for a refund of the ticket within 6 months from the date of departure of the train. The decision to return funds is usually made within 1 month, after which the citizen is notified of the decision.

But remember: If you do decide to make a return, you will be charged a fee of RUB 192.70. for 1st place (VAT 18%).

In order to return an electronic ticket on the Russian Railways website, you need to fill out a special refusal form. In this case, you must indicate the order number and phone number that was indicated when purchasing the ticket.

A return through the website assumes a full refund of the entire order, however, returning tickets in this way is only possible before the train departs, if the boarding pass has not yet been issued and the ticket has not been received in hand. In the case of international transportation, returns through the website must be made at least 6 hours before the train departs from the boarding station.

How to return an electronic train ticket without missing the deadline?

You can return your electronic train ticket before receiving your boarding pass at self-service terminals or ticket offices:

if you bought an electronic ticket for travel within the Russian Federation or to the CIS countries, then you can return it at any time before the train departs;
if you bought a ticket on an international route, then you can return it no later than 1 hour before the train departs from the initial station and no later than 6 hours from yours.

How to get a refund for an e-ticket?

If you return an electronic ticket for a domestic Russian train, then you will receive the following:

8 hours before the train departure - the full cost of the ticket and reserved seat;
less than 8 hours in advance, but no later than 2 hours in advance - the cost of the ticket and 50% of the cost of a reserved seat;
less than 2 hours - ticket price.

If the ticket was purchased for a trip to neighboring countries:

24 hours before the train departure - the cost of the ticket and reserved seat;
less than 24 hours in advance, no less than 6 hours in advance - the cost of the ticket and 50% of the cost of a reserved seat;
less than 6 hours before train departure - ticket price.

If you have purchased an electronic ticket to foreign countries, then you must return the cost of the ticket and reserved seat no later than 6 hours before the train’s departure. But! When refunding the fare amount for each seat, a fee of 10 euros will be charged, converted to the ruble exchange rate.

How to return an electronic ticket in a foreign country?

If for some reason you want to return your railway e-ticket while abroad, do not be alarmed: you can cancel your ticket by contacting the refund office at the station of the country in which you are located. In this case, you must give the cashier a pre-printed ticket in the Russian Federation on Russian Railways letterhead and a passport, after which the cashier must give you a document with a note that you have returned the ticket.

Then, no later than 6 months after the departure of the train for which you returned the ticket, you must visit the Russian Railways ticket office with a ticket cancellation form issued to you in another state and a passport.

How to return a train ticket and get money back?

If for some reason your trip does not work out or you miss the train, you can return your ticket to the ticket office and get your money back. The amount refunded for a ticket depends on several factors.

How much money does Russian Railways return when returning tickets?

The refund amount is calculated based on two parts of the cost - the ticket and the reserved seat, which are indicated in the very first line of the Russian Railways ticket. A ticket is the cost of travel, and a reserved seat is the cost of a seat in the carriage.

In an internal Russian message:

if the ticket is returned up to 8 hours before the train departure - the full fare
when returning a ticket from 8 to 2 hours before train departure - 100% of the ticket price and 50% of the cost of a reserved seat
when returning a ticket from 2 hours before train departure to 12 hours after departure - 100% of the ticket price

In interstate traffic (with the CIS and Baltic countries):

if the ticket is returned up to 24 hours before the train departure - the full fare
when returning a ticket from 24 to 6 hours before train departure - 100% of the ticket price and 50% of the cost of a reserved seat
when returning a ticket from 6 hours before train departure to 3 hours after departure - 100% of the ticket price

Note: additional fees are charged for the procedure for returning a railway ticket.

How to return a ticket purchased at the Russian Railways ticket office

A ticket purchased at the box office and printed on Russian Railways letterhead can be returned at any ticket office that sells tickets.

At large train stations and stations, hotel ticket offices are allocated for this purpose. . The funds are returned by the passenger in the same way they were received - in cash or on a plastic card. It is worth noting that the refund to the card does not occur immediately, but with a delay of several days.

How to return a ticket purchased online (electronic ticket)

If the ticket is not printed on Russian Railways letterhead at the ticket office or terminal, then it can be returned directly from your personal account on the Russian Railways website. Otherwise, the refund is carried out in the same way as a regular ticket.

The possibility of returning railway tickets through the Russian Railways website ends 1 hour before the train departure. After this period, you can return an electronic ticket to Russian Railways only through a claim procedure.

If the ticket is not printed on a form and you cannot return it through the Russian Railways website, then you need to go to the Russian Railways ticket office with your passport and boarding pass.

Railway refund for another passenger

If you need to return tickets that are not yours, because the owner for some reason is not able to do this, then you will need a power of attorney certified by a notary to receive a ticket (if the ticket is electronic and it was not received on a form), a power of attorney to receive funds and a refund ticket, also certified by a notary, and the passport of the person in whose name the power of attorney was issued

You bought a train ticket at the Russian Railways station, but your trip is unexpectedly canceled or your arrival is postponed to another date. Is it possible to return something purchased at the Russian Railways station at the box office? Is it possible to return train tickets at all? How long will this procedure take? And what fee is due for returning tickets in 2018? Read our article.

What does the cost consist of?

During the process of returning a train ticket, station staff may mislead you by explaining why, when returning the ticket price, the fee is withheld and what is returned free of charge.

The cost of the train is:

From the cost of transportation by rail.
From the cost of a reserved seat (space occupied in the carriage)

Information

Typically, the cost of a seat in a carriage is 30% of the total fare.

Reasons for returning a train ticket

Passenger is late;
The passenger canceled the trip;
Termination of the trip at the request of the passenger;
Being late for a valid reason (illness or accident);
Removal from the train due to illness;
Ticket refund due to train delay or flight cancellation;
Refund of a ticket due to failure to provide the seat purchased on the train;
Exchange of ticket for another date.

How to return or exchange a Russian railway ticket?

It is possible to exchange or return a ticket purchased at a Russian railway station and via the Internet only by contacting the Russian Railways station ticket office in person.

Read about cases of purchasing a train ticket by proxy at the end of the article.

The amount that will be returned to you for this operation depends on the time of return of the train ticket.

If you decide to return or exchange your train ticket for 8 (or more than 8) hours before the train departure time, then Russian Railways employees will refund you one hundred percent of the cost (applies to both the ticket and reserved seat tickets)
If you would like to return or exchange your train ticket, bought at the station, later than 8 hours before departure, but no later than two hours, then you will be refunded one hundred percent of the amount paid for the ticket and only 50% of the cost of the reserved seat.
If you intend to return or exchange your train ticket at a later date, in less than 2 hours before the train departs, you will be refunded one hundred percent of the cost of the pass. If a few hours after the train departs you decide to return your reserved seat train ticket, then the Russian Railways station will not return the money to you.

The refund amount depends not only from time for which the passenger decided to return his train ticket, but also on the reason for its return. So:

If the passenger has not given valid reasons for his delay, then when contacting the ticket office no later than three hours from the moment the train departs, the fare will be refunded. The cost of a seat in the carriage is not refundable.
If the passenger decides to return the ticket without indicating the reason for the return more than fifteen hours before the train departs, then the fare will be reimbursed in full. If there are more than four hours left before departure, the fare and half the cost of the reserved seat will be refunded. If less than four hours, only the cost of travel is refunded.
If a passenger decides to get off the train, then when he goes to the ticket office he will receive the fare that he did not travel. The cost of a seat in the carriage is not reimbursed.
If a passenger does not arrive at the time of train departure due to poor health or some kind of incident, then when contacting the ticket office within three days from the departure of the train, the full fare will be refunded except for the cost of a seat in the carriage.
If a passenger is urgently hospitalized from a train, then, regardless of when he contacts the ticket office, he will be refunded the amount for the distance he did not travel, minus the amount of space in the carriage.
If the train flight was canceled or rescheduled, the passenger has the right to receive the full cost of the ticket and a seat in the carriage.
Exchange for another date. If you contact the ticket office one day before departure, the full cost will be refunded; less than a day before departure, only the cost of travel will be reimbursed. The cost of a seat in the carriage is not refundable.

What you need to have with you to get your money back:

Previously purchased ticket which you want to return;
Passport, whose data is included in the ticket;
Bank card, if you paid by bank transfer.

Warning

If you purchased an electronic train ticket, then at the checkout, instead of a bank card, you only need to provide the account number for debiting the funds using which you paid for your electronic ticket.

How to return a ticket by proxy?

A power of attorney to refund the cost of a returned ticket must be notarized;
Provide two passports to the ticket office: the passport of the passenger who purchased and the passport of the person who acts as a representative of the power of attorney.

In order to correctly write a power of attorney, it is better to first familiarize yourself with the sample, which Russian Railways employees upon request will print out at the ticket office of the Russian Railways station or download an example from the official website.

How to return an electronic ticket online?

You can return your e-ticket on the website where it was purchased. The conditions for returning an electronic ticket are divided into two categories:

Instructions for returning Russian Railways tickets via the website

You need to go to the “My orders” tab and click “Request ticket status”;

2. The “Make a return” button will appear, which you must click on.

Information

After processing the return, the money is returned to the same card from which the payment was made within a period of 7 days to a month.